Here's When Mariska Hargitay Says SVU "Soulmates" Stabler & Benson Should Get Together
"Let's see where the story takes us, you know?" the SVU star teased.
This is not a drill Law & Order: Special Victims Unit fans. Mariska Hargitay has entered the chat regarding Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler's decades-long will-they-won't-they relationship, and it's excellent news for those who have been rooting for the dynamite SVU duo to run off into the sunset!
The Law & Order legend opened up about the former SVU partners' relationship during a June 2025 appearance on Call Her Daddy, where she chatted with host Alex Cooper about the joys of being at the helm of the NBC nail-biter. Cooper didn't waste her opportunity to ask Hargitay about Benson and Stabler's complex relationship, which has been nothing short of an emotional rollercoaster for fans who have followed along since SVU's 1999 premiere. Should Benson and Stabler stay friends, or should they explore a romance? Is "Bensler" endgame, or do they work better as precinct pals?
RELATED: Chris Meloni Gave an Update on How Law & Order Will Address That Benson Almost-Kiss
It's a question that has plagued SVU fans for decades. Hargitay is well aware of the fan interest surrounding Benson and Stabler's future together, and has some juicy thoughts on the relationship, too.
Mariska Hargitay reveals her verdict for a Benson and Stabler romance
After commenting on Benson and Stabler's decades-long relationship, Cooper got to the nitty gritty and asked Hargitay if she thought the former SVU partners would end up together.
"Maybe on the last episode," Hargitay revealed. "I think that's when they should be together."
"On the last episode?" Cooper clarified before asking the SVU star whether or not she wanted to see Benson and Stabler end up together. ICYMI — Stabler tried to kiss Benson in Season 24 of SVU, but she told him she wasn't "ready" yet. It was a seismic moment for Bensler stans, but whether or not the pair are endgame remains an open case.
"If it's right," Hargitay said with a cheeky grin. "We'll see when we get there."
But Hargitay wasn't quick to deny the explosive chemistry between the two SVU partners.
"We are soulmates, in a way. We are," Hargitay said while chatting about Benson and Stabler's dynamic. "And I think that Chris [Meloni] has had a profound impact on my life, my artistry. I think we've had a big impact on each other, and so Olivia and Elliot are. But let's see where the story takes us, you know?"
RELATED: The First Words Mariska Hargitay Said to Chris Meloni Were Accidentally Awkward
Mariska Hargitay talks about her long friendship with Chris Meloni: "We have grown together"
The love and mutual respect between Benson and Stabler is echoed behind the scenes in the friendship between Hargitay and Meloni, who have forged a steel-tight bond since meeting as SVU co-stars.
"We are just connected," Hargitay said on Call Her Daddy. "We are so close; it's like we've been through the battle together. We know each other so well; we love each other so much, we respect each other so much. We connected, obviously, by living these stories and going so deep together for so many years acting. And he and I really bond over comedy; we have a very similar sense of humor."
"And we just have — you know what it is? It's shared perspective. It's shorthand," Hargitay continued. "We are so comfortable with each other. We deeply trust each other. We know whatever he needs, I will always be there for him, and that's mutual. And we have known grown together; we've known each other 27 years."
RELATED: Chris Meloni Is So Sweet Giving Mariska Hargitay's Son a Piggyback Ride on the SVU Set
